World War W
by TheWordWarrior
Summary: Harry disappears when the world needed him the most. With Dumbledore dead, Voldemort finds his path clear of all obstacles and sets in motion his ultimate plan; to annihilate all the Muggles and rule the whole world. He had expected the muggles to just roll over and die. How wrong he was. The muggles retaliate and the situation suddenly escalates into an all-out war. AU
1. The Awakening

Warnings: Character Death, Mild Language, Violence and sensitive theme, AU

A/N: Thank you for reading my story. This plot bunny had been really bugging me for quite some time and I have finally decided to write it down. Hope you all like it. Enjoy!

* * *

The Awakening

* * *

"Team Ankh reporting! Ground floor, left wing clear!" A voice crackled through Sergeant Willis' earphone.

Willis pulled the microphone close to his mouth and turned on a switch. "Roger that!" He flipped the switch back to broadcast mode. "All teams proceed to the next floor. All eyes on the scanner! Make sure none of those devils escape your attention or else the consequences would be severe."

He heard a chorus of 'Roger!' as his team quickly ascended the stairs with guns on the ready. They were on high alert. They knew that even a moment of hesitation or carelessness could cost them their lives. From their previous encounters, they had learned that those bastards were rather fast and ruthless. They never stayed in one place and catching them was almost impossible. Having inhuman powers didn't help matters.

Earlier, Sergeant Willis and his squad had been scouting the perimeter of the colony. It had been a quiet week for them, without any incident. The sergeant actually wanted it that way. It may have looked that he was not a man of action but that was not the case. Their enemy was too strong, and with their unfathomable bag of tricks, his forces didn't stand a chance.

Last week had been terrible for his squad when they had ended up fighting against _the other_ _kind_. It didn't turn out too well for his team. Those black cloaked devils had taken out three of his men while two others suffered severe injuries. And disturbingly, Willis had nothing to show for the sacrifice of his men. Those cloaked killers vanished without a trace, leaving them smarting over their loss.

That incident had been really gnawing at him for quite some time now. His blood boiled in vengeance but he knew that deliberately running into them would do more harm to his squad and would never sate his hunger for revenge. However, he was aware that a confrontation was unavoidable under the current circumstances and another moment would come when their forces would clash against their enemy. That moment had finally arrived.

Their MDRV (Magic Doppler Radar Vehicle) had detected a stationary source, sensing the frequency that resembled the presence of a magical aura. They neared their target only to find that the transmissions were coming from an abandoned hospital.

The troops were deployed in a flash, fanning out and surrounding the building and then quickly activating the EM pulse to disrupt an escape attempt. They had found that electromagnetic waves interfered with magic and hence gave them a chance to fight back.

At this very moment, they were scouting the first floor, keeping one eye on their infrared scanners. Turning invisible was another one of their impossible abilities and their infrared scanners were their only way to detect them.

"Sir! The reading is getting stronger. I think our team is the nearest to the source. I don't detect a second presence but we cannot rule that possibility out. Estimated distance to target is fifty four metres." Willis turned around and nodded to Smith, their Communication specialist.

The sergeant pressed the switch on his microphone again. "Squad, hold your positions! Target has been located and Team Cross is going in. Be on standby and maintain radio silence. Is that understood?"

After getting the acknowledgement, Willis switched the radio into standby and turned around to face his team. "Our team will be leading this mission. Better be careful. If anyone dies, you will have me to answer to." There were a few subdued chuckles as Willis met the gaze of each of his men. "You know the drill. Let's go!"

They moved forward silently through the dark passage, their rubber boots making minimal sound. The soldiers peered through their infrared scopes of their automatics with one finger on the trigger. There was a nervous energy among them as they prepared themselves for a clash with the demon. They had a few bad experiences before and they hoped that this didn't go the same way as well.

As they turned a corner, Smith spoke up in a whisper. "Target on the move! Distance to target is twenty one metres."

Their progress became slow and rigid as they moved along the walls. The passageway was almost dark, a flashing tube light being the only source of illumination. Their black outfit helped them to blend into the darkness, making their movements almost undetectable to the naked eye.

"Movement!" Willis heard the point man's urgent whisper.

The sergeant quickly raised his fist, halting their progress. He switched the lenses on his gun and peered through his night vision scope. A door opened had with a loud creak. Dim light came through the open doorway, blocked by a shadow.

Everyone was ready, and waiting with their automatics lined up with their soon to be target, their numbed finger almost pressing down on the trigger.

Someone appeared in the doorway, dragging something along with him.

Sergeant Willis called out sharply. "Freeze! You move, you die!"

The target stopped obediently and showed no signs of any further movement. Willis raised his hand and signalled his team to move forward. Turning on the flashlight of his gun, he focused it on the target.

What he saw surprised him. It was a man wearing patient overalls with a stand of saline bottle in one of his hands. A tube was running from the bottle into his arm. There seemed to be iron braces on his leg and forearm.

Three of his men surrounded the target while two moved past him and entered through the door. The others flanked either side of the passageway, actuating directional EM pulses.

"Sarge! I don't know what has happened but somehow we have lost our target. The MDR scanner is not picking up a signal anymore." Smith spoke from behind him.

Willis frowned as he eyed the person before him. "Gray. Use the body scanner."

"Roger" The person in question pulled a long thin plate from his rucksack like a sword and moved it over their target's body. There was not even a beep.

Was it just an equipment malfunction or something else entirely? He looked at the man before him who was blocking his face from the powerful glare of the flashlight.

"Room clear!" One of the soldier reported as he left the room, followed by the other one.

Willis felt disappointed as well as relieved at the same time. He turned to look at Smith who shook his head, sharing his disappointment.

His eyes returned to the mystery patient. What was he doing here all alone in this abandoned hospital?

"Take him"

***B***

"Well Craig, what have you found?" Willis asked with his back to the person in question as he looked through the one way glass of the Interrogation room.

"Nothing much really. Whatever evidence we found in the patient's room has been rather inconclusive."

Willis sighed in frustration as he observed the patient sitting on a steel chair with his hands on the table. The chair opposite him was still empty.

"Go on" Willis requested, as he held his hands behind his back.

Craig cleared his throat before resuming. "The patient had been admitted with severe injuries to his limbs and head four months ago. The medical report mentions that the patient had met with an accident while travelling in a cab. After his complete diagnosis, the report indicated his condition to be critical with multiple fractures in his left leg and forearm, and a life threatening crack in the skull. He was immediately placed In ICU and it took nearly two weeks for his condition to stabilize but he was stuck in a comatose state. The last report which was recorded two months and twenty nine days ago says that his condition was stable but there was still no progress in their attempts to revive his mental state." Craig took a pause before continuing. "That sums up his medical history which seems clear and accurate enough even though it's a bit short. However, beyond that, we have just drawn a blank. The patient didn't have any identification or any belongings on him when he was admitted. No relative had come to claim as well. Even a police report was filed but it didn't help."

"So what you are saying is we don't know anything about him?" Willis said when Craig had stopped speaking.

"You could say that." Craig said with an apologetic tone. After a pause he went on. "If you don't mind me asking, why the sudden interest in this guy? He doesn't look suspicious to me even though we don't have an ID on him. He seems to be of our kind, unlucky enough to wake up in this war ridden time."

Willis observed the patient who was in the process of examining his palms and flexing his wrists. He seemed innocent, but still... "Have you read the report for mission B163?"

Craig shook his head but after realizing that the sergeant wasn't looking in his direction, he voiced his negative answer.

Willis went on. "I was on that mission, which took place yesterday evening. We had detected a magical presence and had gone in to investigate with intent to either capture or kill, only to find him all alone in a hospital which had been evacuated three months ago. And when we found him, the magical presence suddenly disappeared. We didn't even find any traces on him after a full body scan."

"It could be probably a malfunction." Craig suggested.

"Yes, it could. However, it could also be possible that the scanner was working properly." Willis finally turned around with a troubled look on his face. "I don't like to leave things to chance. The odds are unknown and I don't want to be held responsible for letting one of the enemies into our colony." His face turned resolute as he finally made up his mind about the next course of action. "Send Johnson in after filling him in with the details. We need some answers."

Craig nodded and left. Willis turned around and looked back through the glass.

_Who the hell are you?_

***B***

Willis turned on the microphone as he noticed Johnson entering the room. The patient looked up with a neutral expression. Willis ensured that the speaker was online and the lie detector activated.

"Good evening!" Johnson greeted with an inviting smile on his face. The patient responded in kind, without the smile though.

Willis mentally chuckled. Johnson was one real badass when it came to interrogation. His two-face act and his brilliant and uncanny questioning skills placed him apart from the rest. His abilities were well known in the AMF (Anti Mage Force) with the highest success rate in breaking through the suspects. He readied himself as the _show_ began.

Johnson took a seat before him and gently placed a small bag on the table. The smile on his face made it look as if he was having tea in his most favourite restaurant. The patient looked at him curiously, waiting for Johnson to begin the conversation. So was Johnson.

The silence stretched on for few minutes before the patient lost his _patience._ "Umm... where... am I?" He croaked and coughed, reaching for the glass of water.

"All in good time, all in good time." Johnson said cheerfully, smiling widely.

Willis couldn't hold back the chuckle but Johnson didn't give any indication whether he heard the laugh through his earpiece.

When the patient seemed ready to speak again, Johnson said. "Before we begin, I would like you to clasp these bands around your wrists."

The patient eyed the rings with trepidation and then looked back at Johnson with a question gaze. "What are those?" His voice was clearer this time.

Johnson chuckled. "Nothing to worry about" He handed the bands to the patient who grudgingly wore them. After a pause he resumed with a sickly smile on his face. "Those are lie detector bands. They give a shock each time the wearer tells a lie." The patient's eyes widened as he looked down at his _shocking manacles. _He tried to pry them off but they seemed to have locked in place. His attempts to force it out of his hand didn't work as well. The patient looked up with an irritated look on his face but before he could protest, Johnson continued as if nothing happened. "Also, each time you lie, the charge in the shock increases."

"What the hell is going on?" The patient raged with a furious look in his eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Carl Tombstone. You could call me Timmy if you want though. I prefer that pet name much more." Johnson answered with the wide smile on his face. Willis chuckled again. Johnson was certainly living up to his expectation. The patient on the other hand was looking at Johnson dubiously, most probably wondering if the man sitting before him was crazy. If he was, then he was very far from the truth. "What is your name?" Johnson asked sharply, his face suddenly becoming hard with cold eyes boring down the patient.

The patient first looked surprised and then frowned as he clutched his head with his hands. He looked up with a lost look in his eyes as he said "My name... I... I don't know..."

Willis quickly looked at the lie detector but there were no spikes, no fluctuations that could indicate the patient was lying.

The patient suddenly jumped as a jolt went through his wrist. "Wa...!" He was on his feet as he rubbed his wrists in slight pain. He glared at Johnson. "I didn't lie!"

"Everyone says that." Johnson said with an indifferent look which turned into amusement as he said "Watch out for the next one."

"This is completely ridiculous." The patient glanced in the direction of the glass and returned to his seat, folding his hands. "Just get on with it, will you?"

Willis was mildly surprised. Why did the patient get a shock when he actually hadn't lie? His eyes went to Johnson who was smiling again. Did he have something to do with it?

"Right. So let me ask you again. What is your name?" Johnson had put back his cold face mask over his face.

"I don't know." The patient answered, balling his fist as if readying himself for the inevitable shock. This time nothing happened. Willis noticed no major fluctuations either.

"Ah! So you were telling the truth after all." Johnson declared, dropping his fist into the palm of his other hand. "Must be a malfunction then. No damage done." He said with a happy smile. The patient looked extremely annoyed at the moment. Willis almost felt pity for the allegedly innocent patient.

"Are you for real?" The patient said with frustration as he was again back on his feet, slamming his palms down on the table. "I get dragged from a hospital to an interrogation room where I find myself being both mentally and physically tortured. What the hell is wrong with you guys? I am sick and tired, waking up after... after… I don't know how long... What's worse is I don't remember anything. Nothing at all. Do you know how that feels?" The patient was basically ranting here. He seemed to suddenly lose his energy and dropped back in his chair with a dejected look on his face.

"Johnson, go easy on him. There is a high chance that he might be actually telling the truth. The lie detector hasn't gone off yet." Willis spoke in the microphone. Johnson again didn't give any indication but the sergeant was sure he heard him.

"So you don't remember anything?" Johnson questioned with a neutral look, dropping his act.

"No, I don't."

"Too bad" Johnson said, but without pity. "I have got some stuff here I would like you to identify."

He opened his bag and pulled out a long thin wooden conical stick with a feather poking out of the thicker end and placed it before him.

"A stick?" The patient guessed.

"Is that what you think it is?" Johnson asked curiously.

The patient bent forward to examine it more carefully. "What else could it be? A cane? Or..." Suddenly the patient's face lit up. "Or a wand?"

Johnson narrowed his eyes, as he pried. "Wand you say?"

"Yeah, it looks like one, doesn't it? It even has a feather at the back… I… seem to remember watching a show on the television..." He held his head as if in pain. "My... my head hurts." A groan escaped his throat as he clutched his head, rubbing his fingers on his temple. He quickly looked up and exclaimed. "I... I just remembered something! I used to live with my aunt. I... I can't remember her name... Why was I living with my aunt anyway?" He seemed to ask himself.

Johnson didn't say anything as he observed the patient carefully. After a pause, he resumed. "Let us hope you remember your past very soon. Now, the next object I would like you to identify is this." He pulled out a white mask and placed it beside the wand.

"A mask?" The patient said with confusion. "It does look repulsive though."

Johnson didn't question him and went on. "What do you make of that?" He said, pointing his finger behind the patient towards the corner of the room.

The patient twisted in his chair as he followed his finger. "A broom? And that too an old fashioned one. What is that doing here?" He said as he returned his eyes on Johnson with an incredulous look on his face. "And what, pray tell me, is the reason behind these strange and pointless questions? Are you trying to test my saneness or proving your insanity?" The patient taunted.

Johnson had an unreadable look on his face. His head slightly shifted towards the glass while his eyes moved to the spot where he expected the sergeant to be standing.

"Nothing" Was Willis one worded response.

Johnson glanced back at the patient and studied him for a few seconds. The patient met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.

Johnson pulled out a sheet of paper along with a pen and started writing down on it. The patient bent forward to try and read what he was writing. Surprisingly, Johnson didn't make any attempts to hide the paper from him.

Name: Unknown

Age: Unknown (Possibly in the early twenties)

Current Address: Unknown

Education/Work: Unknown

Class: H

Physical condition: Weak with signs of malnutrition

Mental condition: Amnesiac

Identification mark(s): _Lightening shaped scar on forehead_


	2. The New World

A/N: Hi readers. Thank you for your reviews. You all must have realized the _unoriginal_ title of my fic (The movie 'World War Z' was amazing!). It does suit my storyline though. From here on I have decided to write the chapters mostly from Harry's POV. It seems to have rarely been done and it would be rather fun to try it out. However, I am not so sure how it will play out. Your feedback would be appreciated. Anyway, I bring you the second chapter!

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The New World

* * *

My whole body shuddered as the blood suddenly rushed through my body. Or was it just me regaining consciousness from my _sleep_?

A tingling sensation ran from the top of my head to the tips of my fingers and toes as I slowly began to regain the senses of my whole body. Weird, I must have overslept or something. I didn't remember sleeping though.

There was a buzz in my ears while my skin tingled as I felt the cold air hugging me, chilling me to the bone.

I felt extremely tired and weak and the rumble in my stomach was growing louder by the second. My whole body felt frail as I tried to move. _I just couldn't_. Even my attempts to open my eyes went in vain.

A cold dread shot through my mind as my futile efforts did nothing to awaken myself. _What the hell was going on? _I seemed to be suspended in a semi-conscious state where my mind had woken up but not my body.

My breathing became irregular and every breath was agonizing and shallow. Something was making it difficult for me to breath. I felt myself panicking which wasn't helping matters. I needed to control my train of thoughts before they could start to overwhelm me. With a lot of effort I began slowing down my thought process and started to assess my situation.

This pain was real. I was alive, that I was sure of. Taking into account how I felt, I suspected that I must have hit my head or something. It could possibly have been something worse but I was trying to calm myself here, not make the situation worse.

My memories were all fuzzy, like blobs of rain clouds in the dark sky. Arranging them in order seemed impossible at that moment so I just latched onto whatever I could remember.

Slowly but steadily, everything was coming back to me. I felt myself relax as I relived the moments of the last seven years. Yes, I had finally graduated from Hogwarts along with my friends, which seemed highly improbable when I had begun my first year. What with Voldemort breathing down my neck, vying for any chance to take me out.

So how did I end up here? I wandered through the labyrinth of memories inside my head that could give me at least a hint which could explain my current predicament.

The last thing I remembered was leaving the King Cross Station. I just couldn't remember what happened after that. Some sort of accident possibly or had it been a death eater ambush?

Now what? This detached feeling was really grating on my nerves, literally. I could feel my whole body but was unable to move it, even an inch. Wasn't anyone around to notice that I had regained consciousness? Where was I anyway? I prayed it was not in a dungeon, captured by Voldemort or his death eaters pals. I would be better off if they thought I was dead.

Suddenly, a horrible thought came into my mind. Was I paralyzed? Would I ever be able to move again? A strangled feeling of helplessness took over me and I felt my whole body started to shiver. And my eyes flew open! Just like that.

For a moment I couldn't focus on anything and the darkness was not helping matters. Then I remembered that I had changed to lenses recently.

I began testing my mobility by trying to move my fingers and toes, which to my relief, moved obediently even though they were a bit stiff. I felt softness under me and realized that I was on a bed. That ruled out me being in the dungeons thankfully.

As my senses became more alive, gag reflex kicked in as I felt being choked by something. My right arm moved involuntarily and pulled out a long pipe from my throat which painfully grazed the insides of my throat. I began coughing as my chest started to hurt.

My hand brushed against another pipe which alarmingly was going into my nostrils. I hastily pulled it out as well, completely clearing my airway as I took in a deep breath. My chest started to hurt again and I burst into another coughing fit. Damn, this was hurting like hell. And I was only breathing…

I was feeling extremely cold, my flimsy overalls doing nothing to prevent the chill which was freezing my body.

My other arm felt rather heavy and so did my left leg. With painful difficulty, I lifted my head and craned my neck to look down and examine my limbs but a blurry mess was all I could see. _Wasn't I a blind mess?_

My lenses had to be somewhere nearby. Without them I was not sure whether I would be able to do much. With my moving arm I forced myself up to a sitting position and suddenly a stinging sensation burned the back of my arms and body as it came in contact with the cold air.

I twisted my hand around and brought it close to my eyes. What I saw nearly made me throw up. The skin had decayed and was in a bloody mess. The acrid smell was only making it worse. I figured that the condition would most probably be the same wherever I felt the sting. _What could have caused that?_ I did my best to push what I saw to the back of my mind.

I lifted my other arm, which proved to be difficult due to its weight and the weakened state I was in. I noticed my forearm was fixated with an iron brace like thing which coiled around my arm. I had a suspicion that it had something do with broken bones. Upon closer inspection, I found that my left leg had similar braces around it. It seemed likely that I had been in an accident. Just my luck.

My ears caught a whirring sound but I couldn't find it; more like couldn't see the source. I had to do something about my eyes first.

I groped in the darkness as I felt for a draw or a cupboard beside my bed. Luckily enough, I found the handle and pulled it out. I felt for a matchbox sized box and to my surprise, found it in my first attempt. At least something was going right for me.

With great difficulty, I somehow managed to put on my lenses. Instantly, I had to close my eyes as it started to burn with tears of pain.

After a few minutes of discomfort, I finally brought the world into focus. I was in a dimly lit room and my bed was the only one occupied. The other two were empty. I looked around and found various machines some of which were off while some made odd sounds of choking as if on their last breaths. I was in a muggle hospital that much was obvious. _What was I doing here?_

It was really frustrating to not know what had happened to me to bring me to such a place. It was like a part of my memory had been wiped off. Were my friends looking for me? Did they know where I was? I highly suspected that was case. They wouldn't have left me in a muggle hospital.

As I became aware of my surroundings, I noticed some disturbing facts. It was dark in here; too dark. The layer of dust which I observed over my bed and the floor was making me uneasy. The musty smell in the air indicated poor ventilation in the room. It seemed that my well being was neglected for Merlin knows why. Did they find out that I was a wizard and abandoned me?

Another thought struck me. I quickly pulled out the other drawers and desperately looked everywhere it could be, even under the bed. My wand was missing! I felt naked without my shield, my weapon. Wandless magic had never been my piece of cake.

I warily eyed the dark corners of the room as if expecting a death eater to jump from it.

I tried to feel the magic within me and a warm sensation crept into my chest flowing outwards, throughout my body. It was extremely weak but it was still there. That comfortable feeling helped me regain my bearings.

My eyes went to the windowed door through which I noticed an intermittent flash of light interspersed with total darkness. _What was going on? _I asked myself, for Merlin knows how many times. There was only one way to find out.

I lifted my legs off the bed and then noticed that a pipe was going into my braced forearm. The pipe was connected to an empty bottle on a stand. The needle at the end was inside my arm and I decided not to mess around with it. Bleeding to death was the last thing I wanted.

My first attempt to get up from the bed only ended up with me painfully falling back.

I gritted my teeth as I fought against my protesting muscles, somehow managing to stand up on my two feet. I took hold of the stand to maintain my balance which was turning out to be quite difficult. It was as if I was learning to walk for the first time. _How long had I be been out?_

I stood unmoving for a few minutes as my heart pumped blood into my feet. The full force of pain blasted my back as it began to sting everywhere. I felt slightly nauseous and my head began to swoon. I closed my eyes hoping for that queasy feeling to go away. Slowly but steadily I felt the vertigo disappear.

Readying myself, I took the first step with my complete concentration on maintaining my balance. I nearly cheered in victory when my first step was a success. Such was my sorry state.

After I reached the door, I peered through the small window but couldn't make out anything. Was there a power cut or something? I held down the handle and pushed it outwards. The rusted hinges made a loud creak making me cringe at the noise. It seemed as if the door hadn't been used for a long time. That was another disturbing realization for me. _Had they left me behind to die?_

I moved ahead dragging the stand along with me for support. Stale air assaulted my nose nearly causing me to sneeze. A stench of abandonment floated through the air. And yeah, _what the heck was going on?_

I was in for a shock. Suddenly, I was blinded by a powerful light as rushing footsteps moved towards me.

"Freeze! You move, you die!" I heard a sharp order coming my way. Death eaters? No, they attacked first before they spoke. Then who?

Raising my hand I blocked the glare from my eyes and noticed that I was surrounded by three men, armed with guns which were shockingly, pointed in my direction. Muggles? _What did I do now? _There had to be a misunderstanding. After all, I was the most misunderstood person in the whole damn world. Well, I shouldn't be surprised. I was a trouble magnet after all. At least Hermione thought so.

Two more soldiers went past me into the room which I had left. Their fluid and coordinated movements and rigid postures indicated that they were highly trained professionals. What were they doing in an abandoned hospital? Were they here for me? It did seem that way. He highly suspected that anyone else could be in this hospital. So did these muggles know that I was a wizard? What happened with the Statute of Secrecy? And why would the muggles be hunting wizards? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

Another soldier rushed past me with a device I had never seen before. I only got a momentary chance to glance at it. From what I saw, it looked like a rectangular metallic box with a depressed plate attached on one side.

I heard the soldier stop at some distance behind me and then heard a clicking sound. Instantly, I began to feel extremely uneasy, as if something was interfering with the flow of magic through my body. I began to feel nauseous again as my magic fought against the interference, thereby draining me of my limited energy.

There was only one solution; to suppress my magic. I had previously learned to do that to avoid detection while training to combat Voldemort and his forces. I never knew that it would come in handy in such a manner.

It wasn't so difficult to do so; hide my magic that is. There was only a fraction of magical reserve which remained in my body. Whatever accident I had been in had certainly taken a heavy toll on me.

I heard urgent whispers coming from the direction of the light followed by another sharp order. "Gray. Use the body scanner."

I couldn't see his face as 'Gray' approached me with a stick which looked similar to the scanners he had seen on airports. I had never been to one but I had seen something like that on the television while I was at my relative's place.

So what was he scanning me for? Weapons? Explosives? Magic...? The latter seemed more likely. However, the reason behind their actions still eluded me. I decided to be on guard from now on. I had nothing on me that could give me away and I was certain there was nothing in the room that could incriminate me. I had searched every draw, every cupboard and had looked under the bed as well.

The scanner moved over me while I held my breath. Luckily, there was no response from it. I had to hold back the sigh of relief as I _passed_ the test.

Now what? Were they going to take me along or just leave me here to die? I was in no condition to do much of anything. My hunger was overpowering me and the thirst was driving me crazy. I didn't remember the last time I had something to eat and drink.

I opened my mouth but no voice came out. The inner walls of my throat were completely dry and my voice box, it seemed, had rusted after the long period of non-usage.

"Take him!" The same voice spoke again. It had to be their leader, I figured through the tone of his voice. The leader walked away leaving me behind with the other soldiers.

A soldier came up to me and began examining my frail body. A red cross on his shoulder eased my mind. He was the medic of the team as I noticed him opening a first aid box to retrieve an... injection. I eyed the syringe warily as I tried to meet the medic's eyes but there was no reassurance, no words of comfort.

With those unfeeling eyes, the medic clutched my arm and unceremoniously jabbed me with the injection. It stung like hell. Wasn't it supposed to have just pricked me? I didn't have any energy to protest.

A gasp left me as the medic pulled the tube out of my arm, surprising me with the sharp pain which shot through my forearm till my shoulder. The medic quickly bandaged the punctured wound the needle left behind to stem the bleeding and they were ready to move. I was not. My head began to swoon again, even that minor blood loss affected me enough to sap me off my strength.

I nearly toppled over if not for the two strong arms which held me in place. I was having real difficulty concentrating on my surroundings as I felt myself leave the floor and on the move.

My eyelids were feeling very heavy as I barely managed to hold onto the last tendrils of my consciousness. I felt myself being lifted into a loud humming vehicle and laid down on a hard surface. Finally losing my battle to stay awake, I fainted.

***B***

My eyes flew open and I found myself breathing into a soft pillow. A comfortable coolness seemed to lick my back causing me to sigh in relief. I was lying on my stomach, my arms resting by my side. My braces had been removed it seemed.

"Oh! You are awake?" A female voice rang in the large white room, lined with steel shelves. Her tone was soft and sweet, causing me to turn my head to look at the source.

I quickly turned back around as my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. The first thing I noticed was her beautiful face which was an amazing combination of smooth and sharp features. She looked to be in early twenties, wearing white nurse overalls which seemed to hug her at the right places. Her amused eyes met my gaze, which I quickly averted only to find myself lying naked, save for the piece of towel covering my behind.

I felt her hand move on my back as she began spreading the gel like stuff, causing me to shiver involuntarily.

"What... are... you..." I managed to gasp out, becoming extremely uncomfortable in this awkward position.

"Just spreading this cream to heal your sores." Her smiling voice responded. "It feels good doesn't it?"

I didn't reply as my head began to swoon again; for an entirely different reason this time.

"There, it's done." She announced and stepped back. I didn't dare turn around to look at her. "The cream would dry up in an hour or so and I would suggest you to not move until then. Your new clothes are in the cupboard over there. I hope they are of your size. Well, I'll be off then."

I breathed a sigh of relief as I dropped my head in the pillow. Was I stuck in a dream? It seemed so unreal that I wouldn't have been surprised if it did turn out to be one. I just needed to wake up.

An hour later, I was in my _extra-large_ clothes as I stood before the closed door. The cream had done wonders to my back; only a numb pain was all that remained. My whole body on the other hand had shocked me. I was mess of wounds and gashes which decorated my thin and frail body. The muscles and strength I had painstakingly developed no longer existed. I just looked like a patient who was on his last legs.

I tried the handle but the door didn't budge. I raised my hand to knock but the door flew open before my knuckles could make any impact. A soldier was standing before me, his eyes looking at me with disinterest. "Enter through that door." The soldier said curtly, pointing to another door opposite the one I was in.

I nodded politely and moved ahead to knock on the door with trepidation. I hoped that the person behind the door wasn't the same nurse I saw earlier.

The door opened to reveal a balding doctor with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. I felt relieved; and a bit disappointed.

The doctor looked at me in a way which indicated that he had many other better things to do. He would have slammed the door in my face if he was allowed to have his way.

After a pause, the doctor grudgingly moved aside to let me in. I took the only chair which was available. The doctor quickly went through the formalities of checking me up, scoffing and sniffing intermittently which was proving to be rather annoying.

Within five minutes, I found myself outside the door, literally thrown out by the doctor. The same soldier who was standing outside walked up to me. "Follow me"

I obeyed and began trailing him. The soldier led me to a door and opened it for me. The instant I stepped in, the door closed behind me with an ominous click. I was locked in a room with one side of the wall housing a large window while the centre of the room was occupied by two chairs opposite each other with a steel table in the middle.

I was in an interrogation room. I was certain of it. But why did they require me here? Did it have something to do with my _little_ secret?

As my eyes moved around the room, I was rather shocked to notice a Firebolt lying against the wall. Now what was it doing here? Was it another test to check who I really was? Was there someone observing me from the other side of the glass?

To hide my surprise, I moved towards the broom and acted as if I was examining it with a neutral expression on my face.

After a moment, I returned to one of the empty chairs, feeling the tiredness creep into my bones. My hunger and thirst somehow seemed to have been sated. The Muggles must have given me something while I was out.

There was nothing much to look around beside my own reflection on the one way glass. I returned my thoughts back to my own body. My magic was still safely concealed into the depths of my body, only my will having the ability to unlock it. Even being unconscious or in a state of sleep could not reveal my hidden prowess. I had truly mastered it as far as I could remember.

I flexed my arms and legs to test my weakened state. There was no doubt that I had become terribly weak, a shadow of my past. I felt as if all my efforts earlier had gone to waste in building a body that I was rather proud of.

My mind worked furiously for ways to escape these Muggles and find someone I knew who could tell me something about what was going on. I might have been knocked out for around a week or so. What all could have happened since then? I wanted to know what Voldemort was doing and had anyone died since then...

My thoughts were interrupted when the door I entered from opened and a medium heighted man walked in, wearing civilian clothes, an air of casualness around him. He had an easy smile on his face and looked almost friendly. _Almost._

Behind those amicable eyes, I could perceive a predator ready to pounce on me if given a chance. I suspected that it was my Legilimency at play as I detected a structured mind with chaotic activity in my interrogator's head. However, I didn't push. It would be foolish if I ended up giving myself away.

The interrogator sat in front of me, laying his eyes upon me. And thus began a war of minds and emotions as the interrogator 'Timmy', played out every possible card to unbalance me and make me slip. His expressions and words changed in a flash, going from all friendly and cheerful to cold and harsh.

I was already prepared with a strategy and with my decent enough Occlumency skills, I put up a good enough act which even surprised myself. Well, after a year of deception and covert activities, this shouldn't have surprised me.

I had _forgotten_ who I was and my whole life before the accident; at least that was the lie I told them through my teeth.

I expertly manoeuvred through 'Timmy's _fingers_, trying to fool the lie detector by momentarily hiding my memories from myself. I was doing a good job until 'Timmy' opened his bag of tricks, literally.

What were Muggles doing with these magical things? How did they get hold of such items? Why did that wand seem familiar? Try as I might, I couldn't remember where I had last seen it.

My Occlumency was tested to its limits as I fought down my heart beats in attempts to hide my shock and curiosity. From the looks of it, I suspected that I had cleared the interrogation.

The interrogator's expression turned neutral as he relaxed into his chair, his eyes studying me carefully.

I noticed him momentarily glancing in the direction of the glass and then returning his eyes to me. I just raised my eyebrow enquiringly in response, meeting his eyes without blinking. After a bit of a staring match, 'Timmy' pulled out a sheet of a paper and a pen and began writing something on it.

At first I tried to ignore it. Then my inquisitiveness got the better of me as I bent over to read the paper upside down. I found myself getting amused with its contents, or the lack of. _Early twenties?_ Did I look that old? _Class: H?_ What did that mean? _Malnourished? _It made me hungry after just reading that word. _Amnesia? _Didn't I tell you that I was a good actor? _Lightening Scar? _Now even the muggles know... Wasn't I just famous?

As my interrogator looked up, I put up a mask of indifference, examining the sheet nonchalantly. "We need to do something about your name."

"Yeah, being nameless is not my taste." I replied with a hint of sarcasm. However, my name wasn't my concern so I pushed for some answers. "Could you tell me what happened to me? How long have I been out? And why am _I here_?" I pressed with a firm tone.

'Timmy' examined my messy hair and my eyes, before saying with a neutral look on his face. "Harry Green sounds a good name, what do you think?" He totally disregarded my questions.

I froze, but only for an instant, although I was sure my expression had given me away. I hoped it was just a coincidence. "Very imaginative of you, naming me using my facial features." I said mockingly in efforts to hide my earlier goof up. "How about sleeping beauty? Or scar face?"

'Timmy' gave a dry chuckle. "I think Harry Green suits you better."

I didn't say anything. I looked down at my cuffs. "Can I leave now?"

"Where will you go?" 'Timmy' asked promptly, his eyes studying me closely.

My face went blank. I had walked myself into a trap. I changed my expression and put on a mask of helplessness and gloom. "Where will I go…?" I repeated. "I... What should I do?" I said looking up. Perfect!

The interrogator eyed me suspiciously before saying. "You could stay in our colony for the time being. Till you get your _memory_ back that is." The way he said the last part indicated he didn't really believe my act. "I will arrange for a temporary ID for you." He said with a concluding tone.

I stood up but before I turned around for the door, I thrust my clasped wrists in front of my interrogator. "Care to remove them? They seem to be weighing me down." 'Timmy' just gave me an enquiringly look. "C'mon now. I don't want to be shocked each time I lie."

"Of course!" 'Timmy' exclaimed mockingly. "Lying is a human tendency after all." I only offered a grimace. The clasps clicked and came off by themselves, dropping with a clang on the table. They seemed to be remotely controlled, or at least it looked that way. Muggle technology was not my strongest subject although I was not an ignorant one.

The door behind me clicked as well which indicated that I was free to go. Or was I? With hurried steps I moved towards the door, suddenly finding the air in the room suffocating me.

My hand was on the door when 'Timmy' spoke from behind him. "You might want to speak with Henderson if you need help knowing your way around here." He paused before completing his sentence. "The world has changed a lot in the last four months after all. You might be a _bit lost_ in your current state."

A wave of shock hit me as my knees wobbled and I had to press my palms on the door to stay standing. _Four months! I have been sleeping for that long...? _My breathing became erratic as a sense of panic gripped me. _What was going on in the wizarding world? What would my absence have caused? With Voldemort unopposed what has he been doing? Were his friends still alive?_

Unanswered questions began to torment my already weakened mind. I gave a grunted response and somehow managed to slip through the door.

Thankfully there was no one outside to look at my sorry state. I closed the door and slid down in a crouched position with my back against the door. My vain attempt to clear my mind was actually making it worse for me. It was very rare when my Occlumency failed to deliver. This was one such moment.

I heard footsteps moving in my direction but didn't move. I was too tired; too devastated by the time I had lost to make any difference. I had trained relentlessly, forcing my body to work within an inch of death. But it seemed too late now...

"Are you okay?"

I looked up, instantly recognizing the voice. It was slightly dark but the contours of the face were unmistakably of her; the medic. "I am fine."

She chuckled causing me to shiver. I frowned slightly at the effect she was having on me. "Of course you are." She joked with a smiling tone.

To prove my point I rose to my feet, which ended up looking like a furious battle with gravity. Even that small action had left me panting as I laid one hand on the door to maintain my balance. I prepared myself for her mockery as I did my best to not look at her.

"You might be thirsty, and hungry I guess." She said simply. "Come with me. Let's go look for a nice restaurant."

I just stared back at her with a dumbfounded look on my face. Why was she being so friendly with me? Did she have an ulterior motive? Was she...

"Where are my manners?" She suddenly exclaimed. "My name is Claire. Claire Henderson. I have been asked to assist you in fitting into our colony."

My face suddenly took on a guarded expression. "So you are my handler?"

Claire chuckled again. "Nothing of that sort. You are neither a convict nor a wild animal. I am here just for your assistance."

"What if I say I don't need any help?" I said testily.

I noticed her eyes twinkle in the dark. "Not very social, are you?"

"Can't expect much from a person who has forgotten almost everything of his past. I must be on my guard and be wary of strangers. It is rather unfortunate that all seem strangers to me now." I said.

Claire laughed lightly, her laughs for some unknown reason calming my nerves and bringing a small smile to my face, which I hastily wiped away in attempts to be as unfriendly as possible. What was wrong with her? This feeling was so familiar, as if I had felt it before. However, try as I might I couldn't place it.

"_This stranger_ is here to help." She said with a smile, raising her hand in the air. I had to fight the smile of my face, again. "Come on now. This darkness is not good for your health."

I snorted. Only if she knew about the pitch black darkness which resided in me.

My stomach growled and the parched throat bit me from inside. I sure needed some filling up. I decided to take her help for the moment. I might even get some information out of her. I dropped my hand from the door and tested my footing. All good.

I began walking with Claire at my side. I chose to keep my eyes straight ahead and my expressions neutral.

"You haven't told me your name. Umm.. You do remember your name at least?" She asked with a curious tone as we walked.

I looked at her carefully before answering. "No I don't. Although I have been given a name a few moments ago." I paused as we entered a corridor which was more brightly lit than the previous one. I gulped and looked away from her dazzling face. I was almost certain that something was different about her. "Harry Green. At least that is what your people have decided to call me."

I heard her melodious chuckle from my side as we matched our footsteps, with her slightly in the lead. "Very original of them."

"Just what I thought. Although I like the name." I said more to myself. At least I won't need to adjust myself with a new name.

"Can I call you Harry?" She asked me.

For a moment I didn't respond. I was still suspicious of her. The train of events didn't seem natural. Or was I just being my usual paranoid self? "Why were you chosen to help me out?" I enquired, disregarding her question.

"I was not chosen or anything." She replied without missing a beat. "I am part of the medical corps and our job is to treat the civilians caught in the war."

"War? What war?" I looked at her with genuine worry. I was hoping it was not what I had in my mind even though it seemed to be the only plausible explanation.

"I will tell you but not now." Claire skirted around my question. "You have been through a lot already and you must take your time to swallow it all down."

I glanced at her momentarily before looking back ahead. "So where are we going?"

"To the colony."

There was a bout of silence, the sound of their feet being the only noise in the quiet corridor.

I glimpsed at her, against my better judgment. And she caught me looking at her, flashing her smile at me. I couldn't stop the smile from my face. "Are you this friendly with all of your patients?"

"Not this friendly, no. Your green eyes and that fascinating scar seemed to have enchanted me." She responded with a glint in her eyes.

I chuckled this time. "I am sure you say that to all of your patients. To make them think they are _special_."

"Aren't you a clever one?"

With great difficulty I pulled my eyes away from her grin. "Where are we?" I asked in an effort to regain my senses which were threatening to spiral out of control.

"In one of the many underground perimeter bases which surround this colony." She replied.

So this colony was being protected from someone that much was apparent. I had an inkling who that someone could be. Why else would the interrogator be questioning him about magical items?

"What are you doing down here then?" I asked looking at her. "Shouldn't the outside world suit you more?" This time she was avoiding my eyes.

"I have my reasons." She replied vaguely with a tone which indicated no further discussion on this topic would be entertained.

"Did you lose someone close to you?" I pressed her, trying to test her character. She didn't respond but I knew I had hit upon the truth as her discomfort and rigidness became apparent. I chose to question her later about it. "So where are we exactly?"

It was after a moment when she answered me. "South London. Sutton to be exact."

We turned into another corridor which seemed to slope upwards. Even though it was not too steep, I was already out of breath.

Suddenly, a wave of weakness washed over me and my body began to fall. Claire threw her arms around me and steadied me.

Blood flowed back through my head and my eyes regained focus. I found Claire looking down at me with concern in her eyes. Her sweet scent assaulted my nose. It tingled wherever her body touched me and her closeness to me brought a hint of reddening to my cheeks. "I think we should switch our positions before my manliness takes a major hit." I managed to say out while trying to hide my embarrassment.

She laughed and her voice rang through my head, activating thoughts and feelings I had buried a long time ago.

"My _damsel_ in distress" She joked as she lifted me off the ground with surprising strength. Or maybe I was too light in weight.

I grinned weakly as we resumed walking with one of Claire's hands on my shoulder. Even that little touch sent shivers down my body. I was not a physical person and shied away from any touch of physical affection. The only exception was Hermione. It seemed natural whenever I was with her along with Ron. I really missed them. What were they doing now? Were they still alive?

I was lost in my thoughts and didn't notice Claire opening the door after she entered the security code.

The door swung outwards and the bright sunlight hit me, the warmth of the sun comfortably hugging me and easing the tension in my muscles. I breathed in deeply as the warm air seemed to cleanse my insides. I squinted as I took in my surroundings.

The sound of car horns and the chatter of people entered my ears as I found myself in a crowded intersection. I turned around to see where we had come from. A crude sign board hung above the door which said 'Tom's pawn shop'. A 'Closed' sign hung around the doorknob of the rather worn out door. _Neat!_

Its similarity with the entrance to Diagon Alley surprised me slightly. I turned my head to Claire to comment but my words got stuck in my throat.

The sunlight seemed to pronounce her beauty, augmenting the glow on her face. It looked like every feature of her face was sculpted to perfection. But no one could be so perfect. Or were my eyes playing tricks on me?

Claire found me staring at her, a look of amusement on her face. I quickly drew my eyes away and mumbled "Sorry"

I heard Claire's smiling voice as she said "Many guys have ogled at me but none of them had apologized."

"I was not ogling at you!" I protested. "I was just... just appreciating your beauty."

Claire giggled. "You flatter me." There was no awkwardness, no shyness on her face though. I guessed she had a habit of being complimented on her looks.

It was I who was feeling embarrassed by the situation. "So where to?"

"Straight to the point, I see." Claire said raising her right eyebrow. "Not enjoying my company?"

I just gulped and looked around the intersection. This was really getting on my nerves. I had battled the death eaters with ruthlessness and destroyed my enemies with a cold heart and here I was playing a hopeless little pup wearing my emotions on my sleeves. I just wanted to get as far away from her as possible. I wanted to be in control of myself. I wanted to be alone.

"See that restaurant?" Claire said pulling me out of my musings. Her finger was pointed to a joint on the opposite side of the street. "The food is really good there. Let's go." She pulled me along, holding my hand as we crossed the busy street. I didn't even resist as I went along with her.

We reached the pavement on the other side and began moving towards our destination. We walked past a large display of clothes and I found myself looking at our reflection in the glass.

My shabby and large clothing made me a misfit for her company. I didn't know how she was comfortable being around me.

We walked in the restaurant with Claire in the lead. My eyes were on the floor while Claire cheerfully greeted a few people as we walked past them. She led me to a seat which was next to the glass wall overlooking the busy street.

She sat opposite me and began perusing the menu while I studied the people and watched the cars zoom by. My eyes returned to her, watching her eyes flit over the menu. Without looking up she asked me. "So what would you like to have?"

I gave her a blank look. "Umm... anything would do. I don't have any preferences as far as I can remember, which isn't much."

Claire chuckled. "We need to work on your sense of humour which is rather dark and distressing at the moment."

"Good luck with that." I carefully observed the other occupants of this restaurant, flagging them and marking them in terms of potential danger. That ingrained habit of mine was too hard to do away with. It had really helped me in the past.

The waiter walked up to us and Claire gave the order. My focus was still engrossed in reading the people around me as a sense of normalcy came over me. I had trained myself to be the hunter and I was most comfortable when I was in my elements.

Claire cleared her throat bringing my attention to her. Yes, she was still beautiful. "You seem uncomfortable being around so many people."

"Yeah" I grimaced for effect.

We sat in silence as we waited for the food to come. It was time to make her company useful for me. "Tell me Claire, what has been happening for the last four months?" I used her first name to get on her good side and make her more open to me.

"You won't believe me."

"Depends on what you have to say. I _might _give you the benefit of the doubt." I said giving her a look.

Claire eyed me carefully before she began. "Around three months ago the world we knew was turned upside down. What we thought as fantasy had become a reality. We were living a dream with eyes wide open. Wait, let me correct that. It was a nightmare, something unimaginable. The unthinkable had happened. The world we knew no longer existed." She paused in her poetic description. I patiently waited for her to continue. "A part of our population which has lived amongst us is very different from us even though they look like humans."

"You mean aliens?" I gave her a perfect dubious look. I already had a good enough idea who they were. I was just testing her.

"No. Not aliens." Claire seemed a bit miffed at my interruption. "Mages"

"Mages?" I repeated, exaggerating the disbelieving look on my face. "You mean people who could do magic tricks?"

"No. Real magic" She said, giving me a mysterious smile. "I have seen it with my own eyes." Her features hardened for a second and I got a glimpse of her real face behind that happy mask she had put on.

"So what you are saying is we are at war with the mages?" I asked with doubt in my eyes. She nodded. "Really difficult to believe I must say." I looked out through the glass. "Then why is everything so normal here as if nothing has happened?"

"It is only a facade." She explained. "Look at their wary eyes and you will see the truth. All this military presence is not just for show. It was our Minister who had first come out in the open and took control of the chaos that had broken out. Without him our situation would have been far worse."

"The Minister?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"Yes" She nodded. "He was the only one of us who was aware of _their_ presence. At first we thought he had gone loony and was just playing a political gimmick. However, he gave proof to the public and his explanations really fit in with all the mysterious and unexplained killing and destruction that was tormenting our lives. He also explained why no one was aware of it and the secrecy which had been maintained until now. Initially, it seemed rather farfetched but you know what people say, seeing is believing."

"What happened?" I asked carefully, noticing the sadness marring her beautiful face.

She kept quiet and I thought she wouldn't answer me. However, before I could say anything, she responded. "I was with my little brother along with my parents who were driving the car to this new shopping mall which had opened. And then it happened. There were lots of green flashes... One of them hit my dad... and another hit my... mother... and another... my brother. Our car crashed but I survived. No one else did..." The grief in her eyes unsettled me. A tear trailed down her cheek as she looked lost in thought. I gently placed my hand on hers and held it reassuringly. However, it seemed that she didn't feel it. "My world had died that day. My reason to live had vanished before my eyes." She looked up in my eyes, the intensity in them bored down mine causing me to flinch but I managed to hold her gaze.

I gave her hand a squeeze. I didn't say anything to her. I actually didn't know what to say to console her. I was usually useless with such kind of emotional stuff.

Our food arrived, serving as a good distraction for us. I drank the cold juice which was rather welcomed by my throat. The sandwich had a much more difficult time going down.

Claire seemed alright so I pushed on with my questions. "So what is this colony you have been talking about?"

She swallowed her bite before saying. "Our country has been divided into small but densely populated colonies making it easier to protect with the available military force."

"Can't we get help from other countries or something?" I posed the question which has been bugging me for a while.

"Well, the same thing is happening all over the world, not just our country. The whole world is at war with these mages."

I looked at her with wide eyes. I didn't expect the situation could snowball throughout the world. Could so much happen in just three months? What other surprises were in store for me?

The whole thing had gone far beyond my control. The prophecy held little meaning at the moment. Everything would remain unchanged even if I somehow managed to take out Voldemort. Why did it turn out to be like this? What was I supposed to do now? There was no one to guide me anymore. Dumbledore was the only person I could have relied upon in situations like this in spite of all the manipulations I had suffered at his hand. Too bad he was dead, murdered by the person the headmaster had trusted above others.

I squeezed my eyes shut as a sharp headache began to spin my head. I had forgotten this kind of pain and it sent alarm bells ringing as I suddenly realized what it meant. My scar was on fire!

"Are you alright?" Claire said with concern as she noticed me clutching my forehead.

"Headache" I managed to voice out. Suddenly the pain worsened and then as suddenly as it had come, it vanished entirely. I lifted my head to look at her but before I could say anything disaster had struck the street outside the restaurant.

Death eaters had appeared all over the place with a green glow already forming at the end of their wands.

Didn't I say that I was trouble magnet? This was proof enough.


	3. Not Alone

A/N: Yeah I know. I will try and update fortnightly. Also, if you have any suggestions or anything you want to add, please don't hesitate to either leave a review or send me a PM. Enjoy!

Not Alone

Only if I had my wand...

I quickly dropped to the floor and under the table; only to find Claire there before me. Rather fast for an ordinary nurse, wasn't she?

Lucky for us, the window pane shattered the instant we were out of harm's way and the jagged pieces of glass harmlessly fell around us. Within a few seconds, the calm streets outside had become a battleground as I heard loud spell casting along with gun fire; a fight between the gun and the wand. A really interesting kind of battle if you ask me. I really wanted to have a look outside to see how the two sides fought each other. However, I needed to maintain a façade of fear and _cower_ under the table like any other _normal_ person would do. Not that I was doing a good job. After all, there was a limit to my acting skills. Then again I couldn't be counted under the _normal_ category, could I?

My company seemed strangely composed under such a stressful situation. Her eyes were sharp and her posture was calm but ready to move on a moment's notice. She opened her mouth to say something to me but a loud groan drew our eyes away.

It seemed that the waitress wasn't quick enough and was lying in a pool of her own blood with numerous glass fragments painfully buried in her back at odd angles.

Without realizing it my body moved on its own accord, out of the safety cover of the table and scrambled towards the waitress. I tried to pull her but surprisingly, she was too heavy for me. My weakness was really getting on my nerves. I struggled and fought the nausea as I strained my muscles to pull her where the tables were.

Thankfully, Claire came by my side and we quickly moved the waitress out of the open. The moment she was under the table, Claire went to work, quickly and deftly pulling out the glass fragments using a pair of tweezers she had in her pocket. She removed her white coat and used it to staunch the bleeding from her wounds.

My eyes however, drew away from what she was doing to what she was wearing. A bluish sleeveless top which was hugging her body in the most- It was with great difficulty that I managed to pull my eyes away and reign in my outrageous thoughts. I needed a distraction; quickly. A death eater attack wasn't enough for me, it seemed.

And then suddenly, there came another blow to the window pane, or what remained of it, and a large glass splinter lodged painfully in my shoulder; the only spot left uncovered due to the lack of space under the table. I gasped as the blood began to seep through the wound as I pressed down on it in a vain attempt to reduce the blood loss. Fresh pain shot through my arm, worsening my already battered state.

When I had asked for a distraction, I didn't have this in mind. Fate had a really twisted mind when it came to me.

"Are you alright?" Claire enquired with concern but her voice was steady, her eyes studying the extent of my injury while her hands still working to save the waitress. Anyone in her place would have felt overwhelmed by what was happening around them.

I slowly nodded. And in the next moment I toppled over, darkness claiming my conscious. Wasn't I bad liar?

***B***

My eyes flew open and my right arm instantly stretched out to grab something which wasn't there; my wand.

I was in a hospital; again. The only thing different was that it wasn't abandoned, thankfully, and I was not the only one there.

As I turned my head to the left, I noticed the lines of bed, each of them occupied by patients swathed in bandages, some of them surrounded by relatives. It looked as if I was in the general ward.

Loud moans and groans were coming through the entrance of the ward and I could see doctors and nurses rushing past the doorway. Was the attack so intense and vicious to inflict such damage? I desperately needed some details.

And then I spotted her looking at me, a sweet smile glowing her face. All questions momentarily got zapped from my mind. Why did she have to be so _disturbingly_ beautiful; and when did I become such a lovesick puppy?

Damn! My Occlumency was failing me. And I thought I had mastered it a while ago. I guess I was not prepared for such a scenario.

I hastily broke eye contact and tested my injury. I grimaced as my shoulder stung when I tried to get up. Madam Pompfrey would have sorted me out in a jiffy. I am not sure how long it was going to take for me heal through these muggle techniques. I sighed. I was missing my wand so much. If only I could get up and leave behind this muggle world.

"You are such an accident prone person." Claire teased me. "No wonder we found you in such a bad shape."

I gave her a _matured_ response. I stuck my tongue out. However, the musical laughter that I drew from her made me swallow back my retort; my vocal chords temporarily getting stunned. I looked around and found many looking our way, especially the male occupants, who were staring in our direction, some even eying me with jealousy; a fact I found rather amusing. Apparently, it wasn't often that the hospital was graced with such a beauty.

I again tried to get up but this time Claire assisted me. I held my breath and closed my eyes till she moved away. _Control!_

As she returned to her seat I noticed an odd look in her face. "What?" I enquired.

"You acted rather bravely earlier, in spite of your weak health."

"Anyone in my place would have done the same. It was the right thing to do." I argued uncomfortably but didn't let it show on my face or in my tone.

"On the contrary, most people would have just concentrated on self-preservation." I didn't respond. Without actually looking in her direction I had this odd feeling that Claire was watching me closely. "Anyway, so how are you feeling? Can you move?"

I tried but the fatigue I felt was rather overpowering. "This is so... frustrating. I feel so weak, it almost depresses me." I said with a groan. This feeling of helplessness and being powerless was very new to me. It was really driving me crazy.

"I know what you are going through. It is called Post Traumatic Disorder. And your amnesia has further aggravated the situation."

"You think so?" I queried with a doubtful look.

"I know so." She said with a reassuring smile. "It was rather unfortunate for us that an attack occurred right next to us and that too on your first day in the outside world after a long time."

I mentally scoffed. Going by my track record, it was just another normal day for me. "Aren't I an unlucky one?" I muttered with sad eyes and an exaggerated pout.

"And a good actor too." Claire remarked with mirth in her eyes.

"Aha! You just may be right. I must have been an actor before." I said promptly. "Do you recognize me from anywhere?"

"You wish." She chuckled. I grinned as well.

"I just remembered something." I said, my smile suddenly disappearing. "How is that waitress?" I looked at her hopefully but got my answer when she didn't meet my eyes. "What happened?" I asked quietly as I felt a cold hand grip my heart; a feeling I remembered too well.

"She had lost too much blood. She had passed away before anything could be done."

"How many died? Are they still fighting out there?" I pushed on. This war had certainly surpassed my imagination.

"I think you should watch the news. They would be more informative and accurate than me." Saying which, Claire turned on the television which was mounted on the opposite wall. As soon it turned on, I noticed that everyone's attention was drawn towards it. I was not the only one who wanted to know what was happening out there, it seemed.

The television was already tuned to a news channel and a woman, most probably the news anchor, was in the middle of saying something. "... yet another multi strike on our homes. What will these mages hope to gain or accomplish from all this mayhem is still a mystery to us." The woman turned her head to her left and the camera zoomed out a bit to show another person sitting next to her. "In our studio we have an expert analyst from Criminal Intelligence, who has obliged to throw some more light on this matter and share his thoughts. Please welcome, Ted Wilson." She smiled to the man before continuing. "Really nice having you here." The hard faced man nodded with a serious look on his face. "So Mr Wilson, what theory do you have in regards with what has happened in the past few months? Our viewers would certainly appreciate a professional perspective on this."

The man paused and I could see the indecision on his face. Such was the enormity of their situation that a few words would have done injustice to describe it. My attention was drawn to the headlines that were scrolling across the screen. 'Another attack! The sixth this month and the deadliest yet' 'Thirty seven strikes across colony seven; Ninety eight dead and over two hundred injured' 'Losses in order of millions of pounds' 'Helpless military forces; no report of even a single capture of the mages' 'Is the Military just for show?'

I felt numb as I read those lines. It seemed as if I was kept on being reminded that I was just another helpless wizard.

Mr Wilson finally began speaking. "As can be seen, these people - if I can hazard to call them that - are extremely violent and brutal. Each and every interaction with them that has been recorded shows this kind of behaviour and further proves our assumption. They look human but there are no similarities beyond that. Cloaked in black robes and white masks and looking like characters straight out of the television, no one had expected that our imagination would prove to be so real, no matter how horrific it is actually turning out to be. It could also be possible that they are a different race which had remained hidden amongst us until now, taking over our appearance."

"You mean like aliens?" The news anchor said with a look of surprise. I just rolled my eyes. This inaccurate assessment of the magical kind was really annoying as well as disturbing. The hate this false propaganda could generate was going to be very difficult to counter.

"I would not go so far as to say that without unquestionable proof. However, that possibility cannot be ruled out. It could also be possible that they might have been created by the result of some mutation or by an experiment which went wrong. The theories are endless and we still don't have anything solid to provide us with some facts. Our inability to capture even a single one of them, dead or alive, is greatly stunting our intelligence on them."

"Would you blame the Military for their ineffectiveness?"

"I would prefer not to comment on that." Mr Wilson said cagily.

"Alright. Anyway, what you have told us was certainly informative. However, there are some questions that everyone has been asking without any clear answers. I would like it if you could give your input on it."

"I will do my best." Mr Wilson responded with an inviting look on his face.

"We all want to know where these mages had been hiding for so long. And why did they choose to come out now? Were they waiting for something? What do they hope to achieve from all of this? Why are they so hell-bent on destroying us? Isn't it possible to coexist with us? After all, Earth has sufficient space for all. And finally, is there any solution to all this mayhem or will this unending war continue till either side perishes?" The news anchor put forth everything in a single go.

Mr Wilson was slightly overwhelmed by the questions and quirked an eyebrow in response. He glanced at the camera before meeting the eyes of the anchor. "I don't want to disappoint you our any of our viewers but there is no hard evidence to prove whatever theories that we have come up with." He paused before continuing, "We can only speculate with hopes of above average accuracy. From what we know, the first sign of their presence was felt nearly three and a half months ago. Their existence not only surprised us but their violent behaviour really put us on the back foot and made us wonder about what we know of this world. We believe that they were among us humans, hiding in plain sight. However, I don't know why they chose this particular moment to reveal themselves to the world. Also it is not just our country that has been affected, it is happening all around the world. Furthermore, their motives are still unknown and from what we have seen, their single minded intentions seem to be to just destroy us. They act like terrorists but there have been no demands from them, their only goal being our eradication." He sipped from a glass of water before continuing. "As for what is going to happen next; I am not sure. Unless our forces can counter these mages, we are helpless against their unimaginable power that they wield. Since there is no communication between the two sides, any form of compromise or peace is unlikely. I don't want to be pessimistic about our situation but I am uncertain about our future. Our survival hangs in balance and the chances for our salvation look bleak."

"Truth can be painful sometimes." The anchor nodded with a sad look on her face. "Thank you for your time and hope to have you again on our show soon."

The camera zoomed in on the anchor as she turned in its direction. "That was Ted Wilson, expert analyst from Criminal Intelligence. For those who have just tuned in, I would like to inform you all about the mage attack which occurred a few hours ago in colony seven, leaving more than a hundred dead and two hundred injured. These attacks have terrorized the masses and each moment is being spent wondering about our safety. The military has yet again been found powerless against the wand wielding mages who seem to be on a rampage. Recorded videos of the attack obtained from mobile phones or CCTV footage has been made available to us. Some of the scenes may be too violent and gruesome and hence discretion is advised."

What followed blew my mind away. I had never seen anything like this, even my imagination falling short of what reality had in store for me. Even though the video was of poor quality, it was good enough to show the battle between the wand and the guns. Wizards seemed to be winning outright. Either the guns or the bullets were vanished by a wave of the wand or the bullets harmlessly pelted against the magical shield. The wizards were clearly dominating the duels and add in their apparition skills, they were near invincible. Also, any wizard who got injured was quickly healed and was instantly put back in the fray. I noticed some of the death eaters disappearing away who were gravely injured. I suspected portkeys were in play.

Another video began to play which was showing a muggle civilian being tortured by a Crucio and suddenly the screen went blank. All eyes moved to the person responsible to interrupt their viewing, namely Claire.

She had a resolute face which hardened under the stares. "I will not have that" she said pointing her finger towards the television, "showing all the gory details in a hospital."

"Everyone has _seen_ that with their very own eyes. I don't think…" The warden, who had spoken, trailed off under Claire's fierce gaze and all but raced out of the ward.

No one else argued but I could see that the rest of them wanted to see more, their inquisitiveness overpowering their morality.

"Such terrible things those bastards do. One day they will certainly pay for their evil deeds." Claire silently raged, as she sat down on the chair beside my bed.

I stayed silent as I watched her fume and then slowly her expressions started to relax. She looked in my direction with a faint hint of embarrassment. I just gave her a small smile. "I understand how you feel." She returned my smile and looked away.

"You know, what that expert had said was not completely true." Claire said slowly, looking around for any eavesdroppers.

I mentally laughed. It had been anything but the truth. "How so?"

"Do you remember he had said that the military had not been able to capture a single mage?"

"You mean there are actually some prisoners?" I guessed with raised eyebrows.

"Only one actually. It has been around two weeks since the capture. It has been kept secret though for obvious reasons." Claire clarified.

"And how did you come to know of it?" I asked nonchalantly, trying not to sound suspicious.

"I am a nurse who works for the military if you haven't forgotten. We often have to attend to the prisoners as well. The mage is one of them."

This sent alarm bells ringing in my head. Even coincidences have their limits. First of all, why was she telling me all this? I was a stranger to her only a few hours ago and now she was already spilling out secrets to me. And assuming that the death eater which had been captured was classified as a high security prisoner, how was an ordinary nurse allowed near such a prisoner? Unless… unless Claire was not who she was telling me.

And if that was the case then the Military must be still suspecting me. I don't know what reason I gave them to do that? I thought I had done fairly well to allay all the doubts about my identity. I realized I was walking on a very thin ice here. One wrong move and…

"Have you seen the prisoner? Does he look human?" I enquired with curiosity. I needed to play my part to keep suspicions at bay.

She gave a chuckle. "That depends on how one sees him. I would say a monster inside a human skin." She paused and then eyed me curiously after looking around. "Do you want to see him?"

"Wha-what do you mean?" I spluttered, looking at her dubiously. "Isn't he dangerous? And would the military allow a civilian near such a prisoner?" I didn't have to put up an act this time. I was actually very shocked by her question. Just telling me about the captured death eater had sent enough alarm bells ringing and now this. Did Claire really care whether I was suspicious of her or not? Even if they suspected me, were they expecting me to be fooled by such an obvious trap? Or was this another brute attempt to unbalance me into revealing something?

Claire's serious expression morphed and she started laughing. "I was only joking."

It didn't look like it to me. I had enough experience in reading people, without employing my Legilimency skills. Seeing her strategy fail to entice me, Claire was obviously backtracking. "I'm having difficulty in understanding the funny part here." I remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"You are no fun." She complained with a chuckle. She looked at her wrist watch and then continued. "I have some urgent work to attend to and I will have to leave you to take some much needed rest. Don't worry though; I will come back for you."

"You mean I will have to bear with your company some more?" My lips twitched as I tried to suppress my smile.

"Unfortunately, yes." She said with a chuckle. "See you later." She waved and disappeared through the entrance. I found everyone else notice her departure as well. And then they returned their judgmental eyes to me to find out what was so special about me to attract someone like her. Little did they know that I was thinking along the same lines.

I closed my eyes and lay back on my bed. Claire was right about one thing. I was dreadfully tired. Sleep overcame me without me realizing it.

***B***

The rectangular room was dimly lit with one wall illuminated by the light of the projector. A long oval table was in the centre of the room, each seat occupied by the military head of each colony. Only the seat at the far end of the table had been left empty.

It looked as if the briefing had just ended and the lights were turned back on. "Any questions gentlemen?" The director of Anti Mage Force inquired from where he was standing near the projector screen. He looked at each of their faces and instantly knew it that the road ahead was going to very difficult. However, he had a trump card up his sleeve.

"I must say you really know how to make a presentation." Sarcasm was practically dripping from the voice of the speaker. A few of the others chuckled, but without humour. The director maintained a neutral expression.

"If you really believe that we would hand over all our forces to you on a whim, then you are mistaken." A harsh voice spoke. "All of this nonsense doesn't work in a battlefield."

"That is correct." Another one said but with a neutral tone. "I think you should take care of patrolling our perimeters which you have been assigned and leave the rest to us."

"But don't you think if we implement my plan, we would have a rather good chance to fight back?" The director tried to reason with the heads. "At the moment our soldiers are almost like target practice for them. If only-"

"Do not mock our forces." One of them practically shouted. "You don't even know how difficult it is for them."

"That is why our department is working so hard. You should at least give us the chance to prove ourselves." The director requested but he knew that his efforts were going in vain.

"You have got to be joking. We don't have the budget to create all those fancy toys of yours. And we don't even know whether it would work. Your word alone is not enough for us."

"And did you really expect us to just stand back and let you do what you wish? We are very much capable of taking care of ourselves."

"I can clearly see that." The director remarked sarcastically. At the back of his mind he knew that he shouldn't have said that but these stubborn people were really getting on his nerves.

"How dare you insult us?" The one with a loud voice exclaimed, getting up on his feet. "You have no right to tell us what to do. We are the military heads of our colony for a reason." There were loud assents to this and everyone was eying the director dangerously.

"Enough of this bureaucracy bullshit!" The director retorted, his patience finally running out. "Are you all really so blind as to see the havoc that is being created in each of the colonies? Our people are at our enemy's mercy and the ineffectiveness of our forces is proving to be a real handicap for us. If this goes on, we might very soon be hiding like rats or even become extinct. And all you seem to care about is your position and the power behind it."

Before the military heads could retort, the door opened and the Minister himself walked in. The heads froze with mouths wide open. The Minister very rarely interfered with military proceedings and seeing him here was shock to everyone.

The Minister took the empty seat and gazed around, looking around at the surprised faces. "Do we have a problem here, gentlemen?"

The director smiled triumphantly. His _trump card_ was finally here.

***B***

"Hey" Claire greeted me with a wide smile. "So how's your shoulder?"

I ignored her inquiry. "I thought you said that you were going to return after a few hours." I complained, folding my hands. It had been a boring day for me, lying in the bed with no one to talk to. My horrid state repelled everyone along with any hopes of conversation. I had a bad feeling that Claire had left me behind. Being alone was not as welcoming as it seemed earlier.

"Did you miss me?" She teased me, flashing her eyebrows.

"You wish." I retorted.

She chuckled. "So how is your wound? Can you move?"

"It is a bit sore but besides that I am alright."

"Great. Let us get you discharged then. I think you have spent enough time of your life in this foul smelling place."

"So says a _nurse_." I teased back as I gingerly got up from the bed, rather proud of the fact that I didn't need any help. "Ready as you are."

She smiled in response and we walked out of the ward. Claire held my hand as she guided me through the bustling hospital corridor. I tried not to concentrate on that contact.

"Umm… Claire?"

"Yes?" She said without turning around.

"Where am I going to stay?" I asked the question which had been bugging me for quite a while. "I don't remember where I live so you know…" I trailed off.

Claire turned around and gave me a soft smile. "Don't worry about all that. I have got everything figured out."

"I don't want to trouble you anymore than I already have. If I-"

"It's no problem, really. There is a room free next door where I live. You can stay there for the time being."

Okay, this was not happening. It was so very convenient. Why was she being so helpful? What was her ulterior motive? "I can't accept that. I don't want to impose on you."

"Where will you go then? You don't plan to live on the streets, do you?" She softened her voice before continuing. "My responsibility doesn't end until I have ensured that you are able to support yourself. Your health is not my only concern."

"But I don't want to be a burden on you. You have done enough for me already." I fought back. I had this bad feeling that it was not going to end up too well for me. I knew I was being paranoid but my hunches rarely proved to be wrong.

"You really are a stubborn one, you know?" Claire responded with amusement in her eyes. "Why can't you get this into your head that I am just trying to help you. I like to help people, the same reason I chose to become a nurse." She sighed. "If you are so worried about the room rent that you would owe me, you could get a job later and pay me back."

I was still unconvinced even though her reasoning was accurate. I looked away as I weighed the pros and cons if I agreed with her proposal. My eyes moved around the crowd as I thought it over and then I saw _her_. I blinked twice but nothing changed. I knew I wasn't hallucinating.

Garbed in a nurse outfit, her bushy hair sticking out from under her cap, my best friend walked past me. It was none other than Hermione Granger!


End file.
